Taking the egg song a bit too far

[azygous]

Today the second and third of my five seven-month old Welsummers laid their first eggs. The first one has been laying for a couple of weeks already.

So far, these three have been very enthusiastic with their egg songs, and Molly, the first to have begun laying, sings it before as well as after producing her eggs.

Mabel, who was the first to lay her first egg today, was no less exuberant. But later this afternoon when her sister Myrtle also laid her first egg, things got a little out of hand. It seems Myrtle was so excited over her achievement she "sang" for the next three hours.

By 5 pm, it was grating on my nerves and, as it would appear, also the nerves of the other eighteen hens and one rooster in the flock because they all decided to take up the chorus. Actually, it sounded more like they were all announcing an invasion of monster black bears, being as the egg song and announcement of danger both sound almost identical.

I was almost thinking I'd distribute some tortillas to shut them all up when they all decided to pack it in and go in to roost.

My gosh almighty, I sure hope we don't have to go through this every time Myrtle lays an egg!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Are you sure there wasn't a critter lurking around? Wellies do like their egg song, and the whole world has to hear it!

 

[azygous]

Welsummers all do this?

Yes, there could have been a predator. Even though I've thinned the forest to within several acres around my buildings, the chickens could have seen a bobcat lurking around the perimeter. I was just thinking that it's been way too many years since the last bout with a bobcat and I'm due.

I'll keep the precious darlings inside the run for awhile.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Welsummers are vocal in their egg song, but it sounds like you had some critter around.

My dog now knows the difference from the egg song and the alarm call. She will bark at me if she hears the alarm call. All I did was take her out with me when I heard the alarm call, and she trained herself. She's chased off a bobcat and the most recent, a very large gray fox.

 

[azygous]

I don't have a dog, but I do have a shotgun.

 

[Crysta]

LOL^

This "egg song," do they do this before they are about to lay as well? My hens are expected to lay any day now, they are showing all the signs. I have noticed that they have been especially noisy lately... (No predators nearby).

 

[lazy gardener]

LOL^

This "egg song," do they do this before they are about to lay as well? My hens are expected to lay any day now, they are showing all the signs. I have noticed that they have been especially noisy lately... (No predators nearby).

Some do it before and after they lay an egg, also when ever a buddy lays an egg, and when they think about laying an egg. And I've heard it when one girl gets separated from the flock as a means of saying.... "Hey, I'm here, where are the rest of you???" The rest of the flock respond by coming on the run. Interestingly, as the girls are returning to lay after a winter molt, I don't hear the egg song this time around.

 

[aart]

Alarm call and egg song sound exactly the same to me, but I've only had chooks at home for 4 months.
....and that alarm call can go off for no apparent reason at times.

I was standing in the coop the other day very quietly observing as I often do, and I coughed...set them all off like you wouldn't believe...and it's not like they haven't heard me cough before.

 

[Happy Chooks]

It is the same sound, but I've noticed with my flocks that it's a higher intensity, especially with the males.